ERZIA’s AOTF (Acousto Optic Tunable Filter) RF drivers are operating in China’s Zhurong Rover Instrumentation, specifically in the MarSCoDe (Mars Surface Compound Detector), which uses the latest spectroscopy technology to analyze the composition of the Martian rocks and soil.
ERZIA is proud to be part of the successful operation of the rover Zhurong which touched down on Mars on May 14th, 2021 - ten months after China’s Tianwen-1 orbiter left Earth. The orbiter and rover together mark China’s first Mars mission and make China only the second country to successfully land a rover there. ERZIA already has amplifiers orbiting around Mars in the Exomars mission, as well as many other space missions, but this is the first time that hardware manufactured by the company is operating on the surface of Mars.
Zhurong, which was named after an ancient fire god in Chinese mythology, sent its first images to earth on May 19th, 2021. The rover will begin looking for signs of ancient life and conducting geological studies for water and ice for the next three months. It is equipped with six instruments including high-resolution cameras, a subsurface radar, a multi-spectral camera, a surface composition detector, a magnetic field detector and a weather monitor, to study geology and climate—specifically in the Utopia Planitia region.
David Diez, Managing Director at ERZIA, said that the entire ERZIA team is extremely proud to be a part of this ultra-sophisticated scientific mission on Mars. This successful space communications project further demonstrates their commitment to ensuring that the RF products they design, manufacture and test will perform flawlessly, even under the harshest environmental conditions.
ERZIA has played an important role in China’s space exploration programs for many years. Prior to China’s first Mars rover exploration, ERZIA has been an integral provider for China’s interplanetary missions including three rovers on the moon’s surface during the Chang’e-3, Chang’4 and Chang’5 missions.
Click here to read an interview everything RF conducted with David Diez from ERZIA.
